1, 2, Ready, Flush

Weight = 232 lbs.

Had my third port flush this morning, which means that I have been out of chemo roughly 18 weeks. (I get a flush every 6 weeks for six months to keep the port from clogging up in the interim.) This means, also, that my next flush will be at 6 months post-chemo, ergo, coincident with my first maintenance infusion. That infusion will occur on July 19, exactly 6 months since my last infusion of the 6 x 3-week cycle that ended on January 19. (Actually it is 7 weeks from tomorrow.) I am told to expect to be there as long as 4 hours--there goes the day--because there is the possibility again of allergic reaction, which I did have when I first started all of this last October. That July 19 infusion will be followed by three more, one each on July 26, Aug 2, and Aug 9 after which I am good for another 6 months.

Other than that, happily, life goes on. Faithful readers know that I have been fishing in the last couple weeks and that Jan and I, to celebrate 50 years of marriage (June 8, 1962, how 'bout them apples!), are heading for California next week to revisit Carmel, San Simeon, and Yosemite--a nice, old-fashioned, American road trip. At the end, we will tie into our daughter and her aunt (sis/sis-in-law) in Las Vegas for a birthday celebration mid-June. Then home to some serious local fishing.

There is continued good news on the health front. It is possible that my neuropathy is continuing to decrease. It is just so damned slow, that it is hard to tell. It is also possible that my general stamina is increasing. I turned enough garden soil, added 50 lbs of soil pep and planted 4 tomato plants yesterday as evidence. That led to an almost immediate 1+ hr nap. But I was quite refreshed upon awakening and feel good enough today to plant four more--which I am currently putting off whilst I write this. (The mind is a devious thing.) Again, the progress is so slow that it is hard to tell. From the above you can see that my weight is unmoving. In addition I am eating and sleeping well, am on the exercycle and treadmill regularly, so what's to complain about? Just the aches and arthritis pains of old age, methinks.  

Probably my last post until we return, refreshed from our road trip. I will try to remember to post a pic coincident with the 6 months out-of-chemo time frame so that you all can see what the hairy bugger currently looks like.

more of the same, happily

Made a nice fishing trip this week and kept up with the guys on the trip who are about 10 yrs younger than I. No naps required. Still absent leg strength and still with the neuropathy in the lower legs and feet. But hey, I can live with it. And it may still be slowly receding. All-in-all it appears like progress toward complete health--if such is possible at 73 yrs!

TMI

My God, I have passed another milestone. For the first time in 8 months I have had to clip the hair out of my nose! Yes, I was surprised, also. My wife and others report that my hair is filling in the places on my head that used to be sparse. It is certainly growing in fast, and is unruly in the way it seems to go. Maybe another pic is warranted. I have also noticed that I have horizontal grooves on each of my nails, the numbers and spacings of which appear to correspond to each infusion cycle. So the poison seems to also kill nail tissue.  Not much change in stamina, or in leg strength, or in neuropathy, but I have gotten a couple yard tasks accomplished, and I did manage the boat ramp at Lake Powell last week. At the beginning of each of three walks up that ramp, my knees would predictably buckle, occasionally joined by a hip. But it just seemed to be a matter of shortening my stride and slowing a little and the journey was made without further ado. (On the 3rd day, about 2/3s of the way up, I was offered, and accepted, a ride.)

By the way, fishing was not bad. It seemed to get better each day there and I brought home enough walleye and small mouth bass to make a good batch of ceviche. Now preparing for my second excursion there in the middle of next week.